Paul Ryan Spars With Local Michigan Reporter

Paul Ryan sat down for an interview with a local reporter in Michigan just as a new poll shows he and Mitt Romney are back within striking distance in the state. But video of the exchange shows it didn’t exactly go as planned.

Asked if the nation has a gun problem, Ryan tersely replies, “This country has a crime problem.” The interviewer presses the issue, and Ryan elaborates that we need to enforce our laws better. The reporter then asks how to do that with tax cuts, and a Ryan aide cuts him off, but not before Ryan shoots back, “That was kind of strange, trying to stuff words into people’s mouths.” His aides then block the camera as the back-and-forth continues.

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Ryan’s team didn’t seem concerned about the flap, calling the reporter’s question “weird.” The campaign told BuzzFeed that the interviewer went over his allotted time, adding: “When you do nearly 200 interviews in a couple months, eventually you’re going to see a local reporter embarrass himself."